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POLITICO 44

But as yet another group convenes, the notion that a bipartisan gang will reach a grand compromise where all others have failed appears as outdated in the hyperpartisan Capitol as a horse and buggy.

The gang on health care reform stalled out. Bipartisan talks last year on climate change, Wall Street reform and immigration dissolved. Another Biden-led working group on tax cuts, organized with fanfare last December, was little more than a head fake while President Barack Obama and congressional leaders struck a deal. The White House fiscal commission fell short.

The Gang of Six also appears in limbo, as the ideologically diverse group of senators working on a deficit-cutting framework shows signs of strain.

These groups start with high hopes and a chorus of media cheerleaders — and, in some cases, do the crucial legwork for an eventual deal — but they inevitably run up against leadership resistance, bruised egos and outside pressures. The grim track record suggests that the first thing aspiring dealmakers should do is reject the “gang” label.

“There is no buy-in by other people,” said Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee, who doesn’t have a seat in either the Gang of Six talks or Biden’s group. “It’s just their group.”

Expectations for the Biden group are particularly low. For starters, congressional leaders brushed off Obama’s request to appoint eight Democrats and eight Republicans.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) named only his chief deputy, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) did the same, tapping Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.). They are expected to refuse any revenue increases, which Democrats will insist upon.

The Democratic appointees wouldn’t make any deficit hawk’s dream team.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana voted against the White House fiscal commission’s report, and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye of Hawaii is the self-proclaimed “king of pork.” Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen is the ranking member on the Budget Committee. South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn is a centrist dealmaker. Neither is a known leader on deficit issues.

“As I look at the mix of the group, it looks pretty tough to me,” said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.).

Why is there so little discussion about the looming $100 trillion debt problem related to unfunded entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare? In the best-case scenario, the debt added by these unfunded programs will result in a debt-to-GDP ratio of over 400 percent by 2050 as shown here:

Vice President Joe Biden will try it once again... The gang on health care reform stalled out. Bipartisan talks last year on climate change, Wall Street reform and immigration dissolved. Another Biden-led working group on tax cuts, organized with fanfare last December, was little more than a head fake while President Barack Obama and congressional leaders struck a deal. The White House fiscal commission fell short."

Another attempt by the Democrats to bridge the gap between the parties. This is seen as futile and silly yet just look at how Obama has gotten his agenda items through our partisan Congress. A lot of failed attempts that end with legislation that neither side likes very well but American voters see as leadership by our President and his administration. It drives the Republicans nuts! It makes progressives scream in agony as their leader bargains away their dreams. And we wonder why our Vice-president continues to smile like a possum eating s--t???

Congressman Paul Ryan's "The Path To Prosperity" plan that passed in the house balances the budget...in thirty years and the Republicans are trying to convince the voters that it will increase employment:

Biden is delusional, (yes, I believe he has a psychotic mental disorder), if he thinks any responsible Republicans are going to agree to sit down, (4 against 2 by the way), with the likes of Baucus, Van Hollen, Clyburn and Inouye.

Biden is delusional, (yes, I believe he has a psychotic mental disorder), if he thinks any responsible Republicans are going to agree to sit down, (4 against 2 by the way), with the likes of Baucus, Van Hollen, Clyburn and Inouye.

To Norma Ward: This isn't directed at you, but as an over-65 senior, I RESENT having my Social Security and Medicare benefits called ENTITLEMENTS in the same sentence as Welfare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Extended Unemplyment Benefits, etc. etc. etc. !!! I worked for 47 years and paid into both funds for all those years, and I would've done much better investing my contributions myself !! To top it off, congress has taken the money deposited in those accounts by us, and SPENT IT. So knock it off !!

I want the HANDOUTS reduced to only those who really need it; not the lazy among us. I want "foreign aid" cut back. I want The Department of Education dismantled. I want HHS and every other cabinet level agency, except defense, substantially reduced in budget and personnel. I want funding of Planned Parenthood, PBS, etc. etc. etc. eliminated

That's how to get the budget, the debt and the deficit under control... it's not that hard !!

Inouye? Clyburn? Seriously? There will be no consensus among the Democrats that does not preserve Social Security and Medicare in their present forms and that does not include significant income tax increases. They think the public supports them. They apparently think the real danger to the country's economy is failing to raise the debt limit, not failing to get the deficits under control. These people are nuts.

The Democrats think they have a winning campaign issue in beating the Republicans over the head with the Ryan budget plan, and its proposed entitlement reductions. So, tell me this, boys: if the President is reelected in 2012, and you win your majorities in both houses of Congress, what are you going to do then? What's your deficit reduction plan? Oh, that's right, the Democrats were afraid to even produce a budget in 2010 when you had 59-41 Democrat majority in the Senate, a 60% Democrat majority in the House and Democrat President.

Oh, yeah, and even with new Congressional majorities, the Democrats still probably won't be able to come up with a majority to raise taxes. The Democrats are the Free-Candy-Not-Serious Party. The Democrats sure are good at spending money, and increasing agency budgets, but not so good at cutting spending and making serious choices and establishing priroties; they just want it all, and then they want the Republicans to join them in raising taxes. Let me know how that works out for you and the country.

It is all a farce. Durbin has an excessive administrative budget for his staff-well over a million. What would he cut - NOTHING. Wonder what he will do when he looses his re-election next year. Durbin would do to the country what Blago and Quinn are have and are doing to Illinois. Bankrupt the state and the nation.

The liberal democrats on this nation - deny any debt this nation has and will do NOTHING to reduce the DEBT.

They want higher gas prices so they can get the tax revenue for the higher prices. This administration will do NOTHING to reduce the gas prices, the food prices, medicine, etc. They won't include these items in the inflation figures. They will deny that cost of everything has taken what was left of discretionary dollars people had. There is no more money to pull from American to cover their wild spending/investing/social programs.

These "gangs" of legislators don't always perform as promised.Rremember the original gang of "sicks"(sic)? They fouled up the healthcare legislation and caused massive unrest, with the three republicans lying back home and Democrats kowtowing to their every whim.